


Whimsica: Sea Star

by whimsycreator



Category: No Fandom, Original - Fandom
Genre: Action, Adventure, Angst, Character Death, Depression, F/F, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Huntresses, Lesbian Character, Lore - Freeform, Magic, Mahou Shoujo, Memories, Monster Hunters, Monsters, Ocean, Romance, Shyness, Suicidal Ideation, magical girl, original - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-18 08:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21541459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsycreator/pseuds/whimsycreator
Summary: A story taking place in my original Whimsica universe. This time it’s a bit heavier so it’s rated T to be safe.Honestly this story is kind of everywhere right now and writing a compact and concise summary of it all would be... difficult for now.This story is ocean-themed and can range from lighthearted and fluffy to angsty and intense. Oh, it will all have eventual romance between women. Or WLW/lesbian romance, yuri, gayness, whatever you wanna call it.Will contain fantasy, action/adventure, and a lot of whatever that just makes me happy. This is kind of a self-indulgent writing project actually haha.So if you want the gist of it...Nagisa Onda is a shy girl who never had friends before meeting Amara Mendez, who becomes her best friend. Amara introduces Nagisa to her love of the ocean. But Amara tragically dies in a shipwreck, and Nagisa begins to fear the ocean.Eventually Nagisa befriends a magical-girl huntress, Rhona Aequor, and gets thrown into a magical adventure involving the ocean. Nagisa begins to heal from the loss of her old friend, and retains her love for the ocean, while never forgetting about Amara. Eventual romance between Rhona and Nagisa.
Relationships: OC/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow this story’s premise is honestly a big mess and I might just write as I go but at least I’m actually writing this instead of putting off my creations like I usually do lol.
> 
> This chapter contains TW (trigger warnings) for suicidal thoughts, major character death, and just... angst and heaviness I guess.
> 
> The chapter mentions Heaven as a place. This is to reflect Nagisa’s personal beliefs (she’s a Christian) and isn’t meant to like, shove Christianity down anyone’s throat I guess.

Sinking deeper into a lonely sea of solitude...

Nobody was there to see or hear my cries for help.

Alone in the depths, nobody even noticed I was there.

I was alone.

During recess in second grade, I sat in under the tree by myself. My parents had recently divorced, and nobody wanted to talk to me or be my friend. I never really had a friend before. Whenever I tried to make one, I would just stutter and act awkward. Sometimes I got so nervous, I would just cry.

“You’re such a crybaby.” They’d all say. ”Such a dumb loser.”

I was so useless. I would always bring my team to last place during relay races. I was bad at academics and music. I had no magical special abilities either. People would always either yell at me or ignore me.

Nothing I did ever turned out right, even when I was just trying to help.

Maybe I could just disappear, I thought one day. Then I wouldn’t have had to feel that way anymore.

Useless...

The word echoed over and over that day as I sat alone behind the tall shady tree far from the playground, face against my knees.

Suddenly, I felt something light and soft pelting over me...

I looked up curiously. They were pink and yellow flowers. Someone had scattered them on my head...

That was when I saw it for the first time. Her warm smile.

The sun’s rays had reached me...

That was how I met my best friend.

“Hello.” The girl said kindly. “What’s your name?”

“I... I’m Nagisa.” I responded shyly.

“I’m Amara. Do you want to play with me?” The girl said.

“Sure!”

I was so overjoyed... that someone wanted to be my friend in my time of need.

She had such a bright and playful smile, it shone like the sun. Bouncy, curly hair... Amber eyes...

She took my hand in hers and helped me up. Together we laughed and talked, about silly things that meant a lot to me looking back. I came out from the shade hidden behind the tree, and into the sunlight together with her.

Amara was her name...

“Hey Nagisa, do you wanna play with me again tomorrow?” Amara asked after recess was over.

“Sure!” I answered. I was smiling too.

I was so excited to have someone to play with. Someone who would be there for me.

A friend.

The next day at recess we went around the playground together. Amara told me all about herself, such as how she loved the ocean, and even how she could wiggle her nose but not her ears. She had a huge seashell collection and even a few shark teeth. Her magical power was bringing her drawings to life, provided she drew them well enough.

I told her about myself as well. I’m Nagisa Onda. I like to draw pictures and the ocean is a little bit scary to me. I speak both Spanish and Japanese. I collect stuffed animals. I don’t really have any magic, but I like to pretend.

Soon enough, the two of us became the best of friends.

She was the hand that pulled me out from the sea of solitude.

———

During the past few years, Amara had taught me so much about the ocean.

Amara loved the ocean dearly. Ever since she first went to the beach as a toddler, she was in love with everything about it, she told me.

The ocean was beautiful, vast, and important to all living things. However, there was also so much about it that humankind didn’t know. The ocean was such a mysterious wonder bursting with adventure and possibilities.

Learning about everything that existed within it, and hearing all the wonderful things that could exist, I eventually grew to love the ocean as well.

During summer camp field trips to the beach, Amara and I would pretend to explore the uncharted depths as we swam and snorkeled around in the waves. In a beach with small caves and rocky formations, we would have the time of our lives spelunking in the little caverns and digging for treasure in the sand. The treasures usually were seashells. One of the beaches we visited had many fish and live crabs swimming in it as well.

Amara was the reason I knew how to swim. At first I was too scared even to put my face in the water. But Amara was the one who gave me the courage to try. And soon enough, the two of us were gliding through the water together.

Amara was the best friend I ever had. She always found a way to turn a bad situation into something positive and memorable. She never lost hope, even when things seemed bleak. She had such an adventurous and bold spirit. She was everything I wasn’t. I aspired to one day be like her, buoyant and unstoppable.

It was because of her that I had the courage to do so many things I couldn’t do on my own. Like the time I learned to swim, or when we rode the zip-line over the lake in the woods. Or the time we explored that cave together in our pajamas on that summer night and found an illuminated pool that made it all worthwhile. I was so thrilled, and it was all because of her I had the courage.

That summer night...

That was the night my mother and I had an argument. I was just out of third grade at the time. I called Amara, and she told me to come to her house. She’d run away with me, she said. We’d become strays and live in the cavern near the bowling alley.

So on that warm, misty night in mid-July, we ran away in our pajamas, with two flashlights, one umbrella, a coloring book with a magic pen, a cheap cell phone Amara’s parents gave her, a bag of bread and cookies, all fourteen of our dollar bills, and the stuffed sea turtle that Amara couldn’t go anywhere without. His name was Flipper. We liked pretending he was real.

“Amara, I’m scared...” I mumbled. “What if we get lost?”

“It will be okay.” Amara said. “I’ll protect you from anything dangerous.”

“Ah, y-you don’t have to...” I muttered.

“It’s okay! I want for you to be safe, Nagisa.”

I swallowed nervously. Eventually by the time the sun had set, we reached the secluded bowling alley on the edge of town, and the looming cavern behind it.

“Hold my hand.” Amara said. “It’s time to use those flashlights.”

We stepped in the damp cave and immediately felt as if we were on another planet. The light from our flashlights bouncing off the walls of the cave revealed that the rock formation was a deep royal blue.

Amara noticed I was shaking, so she offered for me to hold Flipper so I wouldn’t be scared. I held Flipper in one hand, and held her arm with my other.

I was still scared, but at this point, I was also thrilled.

“Nagisa, I see light coming from that way. Let’s check it out!”

Indeed, there was a soft glow emanating from somewhere within the cavern. We walked further down the cave, until we cam across a sight that took my breath away.

It was a huge, beautiful room. A naturally-formed room inside the cave, lined with a few colorful crystals stuck in the wall. Right in the middle of the vast room, was a pool of glowing water. Aside from the fact that it was oddly illuminated, it was the clearest water I had ever seen in my life. It was as if it was glass.

“Wow!” I said. “Amara, let’s make this our new home!” 

“Yeah! I think this would make a great home for us.” Amara said.

For the next few minutes, Amara took out her coloring book and the magic pen. It drew in whatever color the user was currently thinking of. It also worked well with her magic of bringing drawings to life.

Amara drew a big couch on a blank page, and was able to bring it into the real world.

Amara’s magic wasn’t quite strong enough yet to make working appliances and electronics, such as TVs and ovens. The food she brought to life would only actually be edible around 30% of the time. But we still had the bread, cookies, and fourteen dollars! Also we were only planning on being strays until my mom wasn’t mad anymore. However, she sometimes took a long time to cool off after an argument...

For the next hour or two, we jumped right into the softly illuminated water in our pajamas and played around. It was like jumping into another world. The water was so clear, so deliciously cool and refreshing... I felt strength pour into me just from being in it.

After we played in the water, we decided to go to sleep, and slept on the big couch together.

After a couple of hours I woke up, and noticed Amara was burning up. She was breathing very heavily in her sleep. I felt her forehead and found she had a high fever. It must’ve been from sleeping in wet pajamas, I thought.

When I urged Amara to wake up, she would open her eyes and mumble incoherently... I was super-worried.

But what could I do? We had no medicine. The pharmacy was on the other side of town. But then I remembered how the water seemed to have restored my strength.

I lowered Amara back into a shallow part in the pool of water. She slowly regained consciousness and soon was able to tell me what to do.

“Nagisa, maybe you should call your mom on the cell phone to pick us up. I had fun... but now I really wanna go home...” 

“But...” I said. “My mom is still mad probably. And she’d be even more upset when she found out we ran away...”

“Nagisa, you have to...” Amara said. “She won’t be mad, I promise...”

“Ok.” I picked up the phone and dialed home. Then we packed up and slowly started making our way out of the cave. We had to leave the couch behind, as it was much too big.

A half hour later, my mother had drove her car up to the front of the cave and picked us up. She did lecture us, but I was able to tell she was very worried and apologetic.

Amara was sent back home and rested in bed for a few days until she recovered.

It was a fun adventure neither of us ever forgot.

———

We spent another school year together. Our bond kept growing stronger. Together we had sleepovers, movie theater days, and even visits to the beach.

During the summer between fourth and fifth grade, nobody remembered my birthday at summer camp. I felt so empty the day it came. But at the last second, Amara organized a surprise party for me. She got everyone together to make a cake and decorations. I was overjoyed that day. It was all because of her.

At the end of the party, Amara gave me a present. It wasn’t just any present. It ended up being the most cherished item I had ever received.

It was a stuffed pink sea lion with a friendship necklace. The charm of the necklace was shaped as half a heart. Amara wore a matching necklace with the other side of the heart.

“As long as we wear these, we’ll never be apart.” Amara said. “We’ll always be connected.”

“Thank you...” I said. I gave her a big tight hug. A hug filled with all the gratitude I had.

I was so happy, I was crying. To have such a wonderful friend. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

Amara and I were truly inseparable, and life had been such an adventure with her. I couldn’t help but anticipate all the memories and adventures that were yet to come for us.

We were almost done with the fifth grade, and we were ready to take on the world together. We were both going to start junior high next year, another chapter in our lives. I looked forward to even more memories together.

But little did I know that a year from then, we would be separated...

I would be drowning in the sea of solitude once again.

———

Amara and I had graduated elementary school together.

In order to celebrate her graduation, Amara’s family was going to take her on an island cruise to visit distant places and see the ocean. It was to take place towards the end of July, and Amara would be back just in time for my birthday.

Amara was so excited. I was so happy for her. I wished so much to be able to come too.

The day before she left, I had a long phone conversation with her while sitting on my bed. I remember exactly what it was about.

We talked about our dreams.

“So Nagisa, I really want to be an underwater explorer and discover things in the deepest corners of the ocean! Maybe I’ll even find a new aquatic species!”

At this point, Amara’s fondest dream was to be an explorer of the ocean. She was so passionate and poignant about it. I offered her words of encouragement.

“That sounds so fun! And well... if you want to do it, I promise I’ll be alongside you, helping you!”

One day, Amara and I were going to explore the ocean together. We were going to be a great combination and discover so many things. That was the goal we had set together.

At the end of the conversation, I told Amara how much I’d miss her during the next week.

“So... I’m going to miss you.” I sighed.

“I’ll miss you too!” Amara said. “But I promise I’ll bring you lots of pictures and souvenirs! Maybe even a real sea star or something!”

“Okay! I promise I’ll wear my friendship necklace then!” I said, smiling.

“Yay! I can’t wait to show you all the cool things that’ll happen when I come back!” Amara said. “I might even make a discovery, haha!”

“Cool! Well, I’ll miss you, but have fun!”

We ended our phone call the usual way, saying “bye” back and forth to each other, until one of us burst into laughter.

That was the last time I ever spoke to my friend. At the time, I didn’t know it, and life went on as normal.

———

Three days into the cruise, my entire life was put on hold. My mother got a sudden phone call from Amara’s grandfather.

I still remember the sudden tension in the room. My mother’s grave expression, how she froze cold moments after she picked up the phone, as if her heart had stopped beating.

Something wasn’t right.

“Nagisa...” My mom said to me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

That was when I already knew. The worst had happened. I felt myself drop down so far, everything inside me shattered.

It couldn’t be...

“Amara... and her mom and dad...” My mother said between sobs.

“The ship... it sank. They couldn’t make it out in time...”

My face initially turned white from shock, then red from sorrow. All the blood inside me turned into a brittle, fragile solid.

I turned to broken glass.

It couldn’t be true.

Amara...

“No...” I said, as my pieces crumbled away. 

“No...”

I was unable to say anything else. I wasn’t even able even say goodbye.

Once the disbelief faded, I remember only crying, to the point where I couldn’t stay still. Amara was gone. I cried myself to sleep that night. I cried myself sick.

I’d wake up tossing and turning from short bouts of dreamless sleep, and the tears would come again once I remembered she was gone.

I was drowning... there was nothing else I was able to do. Nothing. For the days leading up to my birthday, I couldn’t feel anything but gut-wrenching sadness for what seemed like a lifetime.

Amara was gone, and I could never see her again. I knew no matter how much I cried, it wouldn’t bring her back.

On the day of my birthday, however...

I thought about it.

Dying, I mean.

If I died... I’d go to Heaven, where Amara is. I’d get to meet her again. I’d get to see her smile and feel her warmth again, telling me everything’s okay. We’d laugh and play again, just like the old times that already felt so far away...

Surely, that would be much better than feeling all this pain.

“Mom...” I started telling her. “I... I want to go to Heaven... and visit Amara... can I?”

My mom dropped the book she was reading as if it were on fire. Then she immediately broke down into heavy sobs and hugged me as if she’d never let go.

This was the first time I’ve seen my mother so frantic... I couldn’t handle it.

“Nagisa...” She said, her voice trembling. “Honey, you aren’t thinking about wanting to die, are you?”

Nothing else came out of me then either, but the same broken sobs. 

It was not like I wanted to die. It was not like I wanted to end my life, and never see my mother again.

I just wanted to see Amara. But it was a good thing my mom stopped me at that time. I would’ve made a big mistake. Maybe I wouldn’t have been here now.

I held the charm of the bracelet Amara gave me in my hand.

It was a broken heart. Amara had the other half.

The other half had been lost to the ocean along with her.

Now since Amara was gone, that heart was never going to be whole again.

———

12 years later.

Nagisa Onda was 22 years old. Ever since her friend Amara passed away tragically twelve years ago, she had sunk back into the sea of solitude, never to resurface.

This time, it was even wider and deeper than she had ever remembered it to be. Scary, grim, and unforgiving, just like the real ocean.

The ocean was Nagisa’s greatest fear. The ocean... vast, terrifying, and dangerous... Nagisa hated it.

It just took things away, swallowing them in its depths, never returning what it took. Once you were lost in it, the chances of ever making it out were vastly slim.

The ocean had taken away Amara.

The ocean had swept away a piece of Nagisa’s fragmented heart.

Just thinking about the ocean would make Nagisa anxious. It was because of the ocean that Amara was gone.

Nagisa hated the ocean.

Nagisa never wanted anything to do with it again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story sucks and is everywhere but thats just how self-indulgent writing is, I guess...

Nagisa hated the ocean.

Just the thought of the vast, dark masses of water would make her heart sink and her stomach churn.

Nagisa never wanted anything to do with it again.

In the years following the tragic memory, Nagisa lived a lonely life in her small, coastal hometown... but it just wasn’t home anymore. It was never home. Not without Amara.

Everything was solemn and uneventful once again.

Nagisa’s hometown was on the coast. There was a certain period of time where she often took long walks to the edge of a cliff that looked out to the vast blue sea.

The sea was her connection with Amara. Looking out at it, Nagisa would always remember her departed friend who loved the ocean so—who also died tragically in its depths. Nagisa would go near the sea to visit Amara. She would close her eyes, and communicate with her thoughts, recounting all the precious memories they shared together. She eventually had to stop, however. It got much to painful for her to handle. Eventually there was a period where Nagisa would break down at the even the sight of rippling vivid blue water, the crashing sound of the waves, the scent of the salt... They were all too painful for her to handle anymore.

Nagisa would stay in her house for extended periods of time. She would have painful nightmares about drowning or being lost in the ocean’s vastness. Nagisa’s mother, concerned about her daughter’s mental state, had her receive counseling and therapy.

Although she managed to overcome her emotional triggers through the sessions of counseling, Nagisa still remained bitter and resentful towards the ocean. Her days with the sea were over. All it did, all it ever did, was take away things and remind her relentlessly of the tragedy it caused.

There was a big part of Nagisa that wasn’t able to let go.

———

Eventually, came the day where Nagisa’s mother fell ill. 

When Nagisa would come down with something, her mother would always bring her medicine from the pharmacy at the edge of town. However, they were out of medicine, and Nagisa’s mother was too weak to get it herself. She was in frail condition.

Nagisa sat by her bedside, worrying.

“Nagisa, you’re going to have to go on your own to the pharmacy.” Her mother said.

“On my own?”

Nagisa rarely did anything on her own, without the help of her protective single mother. The death of Nagisa’s friend shattered the world for both of them. As a result, Nagisa grew up sheltered from the rest of the world, even as an adult of twenty-two years old.

To get to the pharmacy, Nagisa would have to cross a bridge that went across a bout of shallow ocean, in between two cliff-sides.

Years ago, Nagisa would’ve been much too scared and petrified to even take up the task alone. But with the counseling she received, Nagisa became a bit braver when it came to being near the ocean.

Nagisa was still incredibly anxious however, but she still mustered her courage took up the task, in order to help her sick mother. Perhaps this could be an opportunity for Nagisa to break out of her cocoon of anxiety that had concealed her from living a normal life for all those years.

The young woman stepped out of her house. Taking deep breaths and trying to remain calm, she made her way through the trail that lead to the cliff’s edge.

Once she began to approach the bridge, the overwhelming sound and sight of the ocean hit her in the senses. Even the upwelling of the damp ocean winds, bringing with them the scent of the tide.

Nagisa broke out into a cold sweat as she looked down to an oddly turbulent tide. Waves splashed onto the jagged rocks below and created droplets and sea foam on the impact. It was even a long way down... Anyone would be at least a bit unnerved by it.

Nagisa was beginning to have second thoughts. She shook as she stood at the edge.

She swallowed, and suddenly a thought rushed through her mind.

“Have courage...” Nagisa thought. She then realized she was remembering Amara and all the courage she gave her back when they were still together.

“Courage...” Nagisa repeated the word softly. Amara was surely cheering her on. Nagisa felt it resonate deep within her.

“Amara... thank you.”

Nagisa took one shaky step out to the bridge. The wind from underneath suddenly became really violent. A storm was kicking up... however, Nagisa had to finish her task. Her mother was ill...

Another step.

The wind blasted from behind, bringing a sheet of heavy rain with it. Nagisa took a deep breath... no... she couldn’t turn back!

Another step.

She almost lost her balance. The bridge was getting slippery. However, she got her composure back and kept going.

Another step...

There was suddenly a loud noise.

Nagisa didn’t know what it was at first. She then realized that indeed, the worst was happening.

The wires keeping the flimsy bridge suspended had broken.

Wooden pieces of the bridge were falling in the water. Nagisa panicked and immediately turned back.

No... No!

This couldn’t be happening. Not now. It was too sudden... The storm was too sudden. Everything was too sudden.

Nagisa took one step backwards, and...

———

Splash!

The first platform of wood at the other end of the bridge had completely fallen into the water. There was no way Nagisa could get back now...

The next few seconds went by extremely fast. Yet for Nagisa, it felt like slow motion... Yet there was also nothing she could do.

The entire bridge came loose, and Nagisa closed her eyes and screamed as she tumbled from the high platform into the rough black stormy waters.

She broke the water’s surface with a hard splash from high above, one that bruised the part of her body that came in impact with it first.

Sinking lower and lower initially from such a great height... the water was much deeper than expected. Nagisa panicked and her heart fell when she couldn’t feel the bottom. It was at least sixty feet deep. At the very least...

But Nagisa had to fight. She felt another pang of courage go off within her.

Amara... there was her face again. She was the one who taught Nagisa to swim...

Now Nagisa had to swim in order to save her own life.

She kicked her legs as fast as she could, and lifted her arms over her head.

Nagisa surfaced from the brisk waters with a loud gasp... She opened her eyes and saw herself drifting away... away from land.

No...!

A fierce wave swept up from underneath Nagisa. It rose to a towering height and flipped her over as if she were a doll floating in the ocean as it fell. Nagisa was flung into the seawater again with another crashing entrance. Her eyes clamped shut, she curled into a ball as she was swept underneath the waves. At this point, she was thoroughly petrified. But she eventually was able to kick her legs and attempt to surface. It was a long way up. The water was even deeper than it was when she first fell.

When Nagisa surfaced, she looked around for land, or anything. Even a tiny stray island... But now nothing was in sight except the silver sheet of rain and the water underneath her. Even if land was near, it was obscured by the harsh rain.

That’s when something moving crashed into her. ...Land? But how? How could land just suddenly crash into her? Maybe it wasn’t land... Maybe it was a huge whale! Or maybe she was moving so fast that it felt like the land was moving towards her?

Nagisa clumsily climbed onto the shallows, her knees shaking and her drenched clothes spilling salty water everywhere. She was hoping for the best... maybe she was saved. 

But as the rain began to let up as suddenly as it started, what Nagisa saw instead was like nothing she could’ve even imagined.

The shallows made a maze-like pattern along the surface. Everything around was pitch-black, with the exception of a few erratic patterned lights. In the distance, there was what looked like a castle made of colorful coral.

The very atmosphere seemed to be distorted. Every so often, the image her eyes saw would flicker, as if the surroundings were glitching graphics.

“Is this... a Dissonance?” Nagisa thought.

She instantly grew terrified. It seemed exactly like the ones she’s heard of in stories.

She was a sheltered girl who grew up never leaving home. How was it that someone like her was now being swallowed by a Dissonance?

A Dissonance is a cursed, distorted labyrinth that occurs when the area becomes corrupted. A Dissonance doesn’t have a fixed interior. It’s maze-like pattern always changes, and once you find yourself in one, it’s possible to be lost for days. Monsters spawn inside of Dissonances, but cannot leave them. It is very easy to get harmed in one of these, be it physically or psychologically. Being lost in a Dissonance is, for most people, a nightmarish occurrence.

In many ways, a Dissonance was like a nightmare, Nagisa thought. Erratic, horrific, and with seemingly no way to escape...

Nagisa couldn’t cry. It was much too sudden. She was shocked at her own lack of tears. Was she panicking so much that she couldn’t even panic?

She was, however, expecting to die. But then what would happen to Nagisa’s poor mother? If Nagisa were to die... no... she couldn’t die! She had to get out...

The exact location of the exit was never necessarily where it started. As always, the exit in a Dissonance is extremely hard to find.

“Should I... look around?” Nagisa thought, getting up on shaky legs.

As soon as Nagisa took a step, she started falling upwards, as if gravity had reversed, or if a giant vacuum cleaner was sucking her in. She hit the floor (or ceiling?) with a thud. She landed next to a mini volcano.

The volcano sputtered with steam and and began to release... something. An egg. A big spotted egg popped out of the small lava hill.

Nagisa curiously reached her hand out, and touched the egg lightly. It instantly grew twice its size.

...What?

Nagisa squeaked loudly and jumped up five feet in the air.

She decided to touch it again... just one more time. Maybe the giant egg contained her key to getting out? Maybe that’s how it worked?

She reached out, gingerly, her hand shaking, and placed it on the shell once again.

It grew four times its size, and Nagisa backed away. She was scared and was about to run off.

Suddenly, the egg began to hatch. Nagisa decided to stay and see what would happen... A horn cracked through the egg, and finally the whole creature. A double-horned, ochre-colored lizard. Nagisa was hiding behind a giant cabbage at this point. Was it a monster? Did Nagisa have to fight?

Nagisa looked back at the creature which lunged towards her without much warning. She screamed loudly and brought her fists up on reflex, managing to punch the creature in it’s lizard-like face.

Suddenly, there came a huge roar that distorted her surroundings and shook the air. Nagisa’s surroundings began to distort and “glitch” once more...

“Oh no, it must be the monster’s MOTHER!” Nagisa thought. The sky (floor?) above (or below?) her split into two. Just as Nagisa thought, a much larger lizard emerged from the crack. It had a terrible face covered in luminescent amber-colored scales, sharp green irises, five gigantic horns, and two clawed hands. Nagisa shrieked in horror and covered her face, expecting her death to be imminent...

But what happened in the next second, however, was a moment Nagisa would never, ever forget.

The reason she lived to tell the tale.

Every time she remembered it, poignant feelings would bubble up from inside her...

More than a miracle.

Sailing in on a towering, glowing wave, was an initially shadowy figure carrying a cobalt trident almost as tall as her stature.

The wave, instead of crashing right into Nagisa, maneuvered around her and instead crashed into the face of the monster, causing droplets to rain all around.

The trident-wielding huntress leaped up from the wave and sliced the beast’s abdomen with her trident as she tumbled and landed on her feet.

“Ah...” Nagisa saw the whole thing. She couldn’t believe it.

As the monster was still submerged in the water of the wave, the huntress jumped into the air swiftly and promptly landed in front of Nagisa, defending them both with her trident.

“Ah, y-you...” Nagisa tried uttering. No words came out.

“Stand back. I’ll handle it.” The huntress spoke firmly, turning her head around to face Nagisa.

Nagisa finally got to see her clearly.

Skin almost as deep as night, crystal-clear turquoise irises... Loose, curly, cobalt hair... the color of the deep sea...

Nagisa felt an emotion she had never felt before.

Rescued.

A tear slid down her cheek.

By the time the monster was able to surface from the water, thick clouds of steam rose from its body. The water all around it began to boil. The beast was able to harness heat and fire, using it at its advantage.

Its blood, from where the trident had cut into it, was flowing, glowing magma. The monster moved its head and tried crush the huntress under its jaws, but the swift fighter was quick on her feet. She tumbled out of the way and jumped up, generating a wave from the water underneath her. She sent it crashing into the beast’s face by maneuvering her trident. During the fall, she stabbed the neck of the creature with the three points on her weapon.

The monster heat itself up to have the water evaporate once again.

“Watch out!” Nagisa shouted.

The monster maneuvered its head in the female’s direction and began to surround her with its long, winding body. The huntress, however, wouldn’t back down. She spun her trident around and stuck it downwards into the shallow water below her. The water blasted out in all directions, sending the beast flying backwards a bit. She flew forward and stuck the trident in the creature’s eye, causing it to emit a loud, painful roar. The beast began to shrivel up, quite literally, before exploding into coins.

The huntress, panting, looked back towards Nagisa, who had been standing there with her hands over her mouth the whole time. She couldn’t help. She didn’t know how to fight. She was weak and scared and had the huntress do all the work...

But she saved her life.

“Um...” Nagisa’s shrill, shaky voice came out. “I... Thank you! Thank you so much! You saved me, and I... I don’t know how to return the favor to you...”

“You don’t have to.” The huntress said with a straight face. “Are you okay?”

“I... I... yes...” Nagisa choked out.

“Good. Now follow me, I’ll look for a way for us to get out.”

She then went to pick up the coins the monster dropped.

Nagisa followed, still somewhat in a daze.

“Um... what’s your... name?” She asked.

“Rhona.” Said the lady.

Nagisa thought it was a nice name, but wondered why she seemed so distant.

“Um, I’m Nagisa...” Nagisa said, uneasy. “N-Nice to meet you...”

“Likewise.” Rhona said. She began to climb a randomly placed ladder. “For now, we have to focus on getting out.”

Nagisa began to climb the ladder as well, having somewhat of a difficult time climbing it as fast.

“Um... I’m so sorry I couldn’t help.” Nagisa said. “I’m sorry I still can’t...”

”It’s nothing, really. I’ve been in these kinds of situations before.” Rhona said.

Nagisa felt surprised, but Rhona was a huntress after all. Their job was to fight dangerous monsters around Whimsica for the sake of the people around, and when appropriate, save people from the dangerous Dissonances that opened up.

“You... you must be so brave...” Nagisa gushed. “I’m... I have never been in a Dissonance before... I’m scared...”

“We’ll make it out.” Rhona said. “I promise.”

Nagisa took a deep breath and wiped a tear from her eye. Rhona was earnest, but didn’t seem to be so talkative, and Nagisa wanted to respect that by not saying much of else.

They eventually made it up the top of the ladder, and were right in front of an upside-down coral reef hanging from the ceiling, where water seemed to go upwards into a thin shaft behind it.

“I think if we swim up that shaft, we’ll escape.” Rhona said.

Nagisa immediately trusted her.

“Alright... but how do we... reverse gravity?”

“We don’t, we jump right into the water above us.”

Rhona looked at Nagisa, who was trembling with fear. She put her hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

That was when Nagisa noticed Rhona‘s almost glowing eyes were very intense. The bright turquoise contrasted sharply against her dark skin tone and the rest of the dark surroundings.

Nagisa’s heart skipped a beat...

“O-Okay...” Nagisa said.

“Follow me, okay?” Rhona jumped up into the water and began to swim up the narrow passageway.

Nagisa swallowed, and did the same.

This would be the first time Nagisa had taken a voluntary swim in years.

They came out on the deep blue surface of the open ocean.

When Nagisa looked back down underwater, the exit of the strange labyrinth had disappeared. The Dissonance had vanished without a trace, as if it was nothing but a bad dream. But Rhona, however, was still there, in front of her, treading water. This also happened to be the deepest water Nagisa had ever been in, even deeper than when the bridge collapsed. It had to be at least 500 feet... yikes!

Though the water was very clear, it was impossible to see anywhere near the bottom.

“Oh, no...” Nagisa covered her face and cried. “We’re still in a mess...”

“Not to worry.” Rhona said. “Land shouldn’t be that far from here. I believe there’s some up north. We just have to keep swimming forward.”

Just keep swimming forward...

Nagisa repeated those four words to herself. Just keep swimming forward...

Nagisa almost wanted to tell Rhona she wasn’t a good swimmer, but she was starting to feel like a terrible nuisance. A weak girl, a coward, someone who couldn’t even fight and help. Her and Rhona weren’t by any means friends, she thought. Rhona was just someone helping her out because she had to, probably... The truth hit Nagisa and made her feel unwanted.

“I bet Rhona... hates me.” Nagisa thought disdainfully. She followed behind Rhona, paddling slowly, but grew tired quickly. Rhona kept swimming at an even pace and didn’t seem to be growing the least bit weary. Nagisa didn’t let herself give up, and kept following Rhona even though she was panting heavily.

Rhona picked up on Nagisa’s panting and told her to take a break.

Nagisa began to just float there.

“Sorry...” She said.

Rhona didn’t answer, and only nodded her head.

In a couple of minutes, she told Rhona she was ready to go on, despite not recovering her stamina fully. They swam a bit more and eventually saw some land.

———

They arrived at land, by that time Nagisa was winded. She collapsed on the gritty sand, miserable and dripping wet. They were on a deserted island. A tall cliff was in the center of the island, obscured by a jungle of thick green trees...

“Ohhhh....” Nagisa groaned in exhaustion.

“I can sense that the danger level is 17.” Rhona said.

Nagisa suddenly jolted several feet in the air. 17!? Danger levels in Whimsica were classified from 1 to 20, 1 being the least dangerous and 20 being the most.

She had only been used to the danger level 6, around her home, which even then was too high for her tastes.

“There’s only a few places that are this high in danger, the Ends of the World. It appears we’re in the outskirts of the Tropica Zone.” Rhona said. She seemed so calm. Eerily calm. How could she possibly stay so calm?

“Er... Rhona, h-how did we end up here?” Nagisa panicked. She immediately stood up.

“Well, sometimes the exit of a Dissonance leads out to a random place in Whimsica.” Rhona explained. “The size of a Dissonance isn’t always to scale with the planet, and traveling a small distance within one could easily lead you to a distant part of the world.”

“Oh...” Nagisa said, tears welling up in her eyes. “This... isn’t okay... We could die!”

“I promise we won’t.” Rhona said.

“H-How can you be so sure?” Nagisa rose her voice in frustration.

Rhona didn’t answer and began to walk towards the nearby jungle. Nagisa immediately began to regret her outburst.

“Great... she really hates me now.” Nagisa whispered under her breath.

Just then, something exploded out of the sand and grabbed Rhona by her leg. A sand monster with many long tentacles rose out of the sand and held Rhona upside down by one of her legs.

“Ahhh! Rhona!” Nagisa cried out.

“Nagisa, take shelter in the forest.” Rhona said.

“But... I can’t leave you alone with—“

“Just go!” Rhona’s voice rose to a yell.

“O-Okay!” Nagisa ran away towards the forest and cowered under a tree.

Rhona used her trident to cut the tentacle that was holding her up. She fell to the ground and began to fight the monster. Nagisa was only partly in the forest, feeling like she couldn’t leave Rhona alone.

Rhona emerged victorious from the fight. Nagisa began to cry. She never felt more helpless.

“I’m so useless...” She said. “I’m sorry...”

“Crying will only make you lose hope.” Rhona said. “Get it together, okay?”

Nagisa wiped her tears.

“Okay... I’m sorry.”

There were a few seconds of awkward silence.

“So, the best bet to return to your home is to find an Escape Charm.” Rhona said, breaking the silence.

“What is that?” Nagisa asked.

“It’s a rare pendant that enables the user to return home.” Rhona said. “Close your eyes and visualize your home as you hold it. When you feel everything around you disappear, and open them again, you should be home.”

“That sounds wonderful...” Nagisa said, tears filling her eyes again.

“They’re slightly more common in the Tropica Zone than anywhere else in Whimsica.” Rhona said. “We’ll search for one.”

Rhona had an odd way of being kind, Nagisa thought. She was kind, but didn’t really show much emotion. It was kind of hard to tell if Rhona really did hate her or not. Though at best, she was probably indifferent to Nagisa, she thought.

Nagisa was really worried. Everything was so sudden... and her mother was still home sick in the bed, counting on her... only she was so far away.

Rhona was the reason Nagisa was even alive, she thought. But she didn’t want to have to depend on her. Rhona was so brave... Nagisa felt like such a hopeless coward in comparison.

Nagisa wanted to become stronger.


End file.
